Table Of ContentThe Beauty of Fit:
Proportion and Anthropometry in Chair Design
A Thesis
Presented to
The Academic Faculty
by
Caroline Kelly
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree of
Masters of Industrial Design in the
College of Architecture
Georgia Institute of Technology
April 2005
The Beauty of Fit:
Proportion and Anthropometry in Chair Design
Approved by:
Kevin Reeder, Advisor
Dr. Joyce D. Medina
Dr. T. Russell Gentry
April 18. 2005
To Matt, whose faithful love and
encouragement made this possible.
You are my perfect fit.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Three years have passed since I began my studies at Georgia Tech, and it would be
almost impossible to account for everyone I have to thank for making my time at here so
rich an experience. It has been a privilege to be part of this design community.
My thanks to Kevin Reeder, who, as my advisor, helped me to define what it was I was
trying to understand about this subject. His encouragement and patience was as essential
as his insight in helping me to successfully complete this project.
Thanks also to Dr. T. Russell Gentry who provided guidance for this methodology and
whose insightful comments tightened my writing and challenged my thinking.
I must thank Dr. Joyce Medina for showing me how to see design, myself and the world
more deeply and clearly. She has my deep admiration.
My classmates have been responsible for teaching me so much as we have gone through
this process together. Janna Kimel has been a steadfast friend – I cannot image what this
process would have been like without her. The community of learning in the ID program
is characterized as much by the generosity of time, knowledge and spirit of its students as
it is by their intelligence and hard work.
Alan Harp and Karl Brohammer at the Advanced Wood Products Laboratory deserve my
thanks as well. The program they have developed provides an opportunity unlike any
other in the study of furniture design. This is not only because of the incredible facilities
and resources, but because of their personal investment in their students. Alan is one of
the finest instructors I have ever known. Thanks also go to his family for sacrificing
their time with him for our sakes.
To my parents, thank you for your love and support. They believe in me when I doubt
myself. So many of my accomplishments – academically, professionally, personally –
are due to them. I am so thankful for their keen minds and generous hearts.
To my brothers, who are always ready to listen to me and to challenge me. They both
have my respect and love.
And most of all, thanks go to my husband Matt Kelly, who I met as I began my program
of study here. The lessons he has taught me are more valuable than any I have learned in
school. Thank you for your love, patience and prayers.
Finally, I offer thanksgiving to my Creator, the Master Designer, for His authorship in
my life.
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements iv
List of Tables vii
List of Figures viii
Glossary xiv
Summary xv
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Chapter 2 Chair History 4
Chapter 3 Proportional Systems 13
Chapter 4 Anthropometry 22
Chapter 5 Ergonomics and Functional Requirements 28
Chapter 6 Study #1
6.1 Introduction 32
6.1.1 Zig Zag Chair – History 33
6.2 Methods
6.2.2 Zig Zag Chair – Definition of Fit 37
6.2.3 Zig Zag Chair – Redesign 40
6.2.4 Design and Execution of the Survey 52
6.3 Results 55
6.4 Discussion 70
Chapter 7 Study #2
7.1 Introduction 73
7.1.1 LC2 Chair – History 73
v
7.2 Methods
7.2.2 LC2 Chair – Definition of Fit 78
7.2.3 LC2 Chair – Redesign 80
7.2.4 Design and Execution of the Survey 92
7.3 Results 94
7.4 Discussion 104
Chapter 8 Conclusion 106
Appendix A: Statistics from select measures from CAESAR 109
Appendix B: Survey Questions for Zig Zag Chair and LC2 Chair 156
Appendix C: Raw Data from the Zig Zag Survey 177
Appendix D: Raw Data from the LC2 Survey 184
Works Cited 188
vi
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Matrix of Possible Combinations of Seat Height, Seat Depth and 41
Back Height
Table 2 Combinations of Dimensions for the Redesigned Zig Zag Chairs 41
Table 3 Scores and Ranking of the Zig Zag Chair for Beauty and Proportion 55
Table 4 Scores and Ranking of the LC2 Chair for Beauty and Proportion 95
vii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Egyptian Chairs 4
Figure 2 Greek klismos 5
Figure 3 Roman sella-curulis 5
Figure 4 Merode Altarpiece, Master of Flemalle (Robert Campin), 1427 6
Figure 5 Renaissance Savonarola chair 7
Figure 6 Renaissance Sgabello chair 7
Figure 7 Louis XIV Armchair 8
Figure 8 Chippendale chairs 9
Figure 9 French Empire chair 9
Figure 10 English Regency chair 9
Figure 11 Beidermeier chair 10
Figure 12 The Golden Mean Φ 14
Figure 13 Logarithmic Spiral 15
Figure 14 Nautilus Shell 15
Figure 15 Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci, 1490 17
Figure 16 The Modulor, Red and Blue Series, Le Corbusier, 1955 19
Figure 17 Construction of The Modulor 19
Figure 18 The Modulor, postures, Le Corbusier, 1955 20
Figure 19 Chart from the Measure of Man, Henry Dreyfuss, 1955 24
Figure 20 An anthropometer 24
Figure 21 Gerrit Rietveld 32
Figure 22 Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier 32
viii
Figure 23 Zig Zag chair, Gerrit Rietveld, 1932-33 33
Figure 24 Red Blue chair, Gerrit Rietveld, 1918 34
Figure 25 Rietveld outside his studio sitting in the Red Blue chair 35
Figure 26 Red and green lacquered Zig Zag chair 36
Figure 27 Variations on the Zig Zag chair 36
Figure 28 Zig Zag Chair Diagram of Fit 39
Figure 29 Rendering of Original Chair 42
Figure 30 Right Side Orthographic of Original Chair 42
Figure 31 Rendering of Version 1 43
Figure 32 Right Side Orthographic of Version 1 43
Figure 33 Rendering of Version 2 44
Figure 34 Right Side Orthographic of Version 2 44
Figure 35 Rendering of Version 3 45
Figure 36 Right Side Orthographic of Version 3 45
Figure 37 Rendering of Version 4 46
Figure 38 Right Side Orthographic of Version 4 46
Figure 39 Rendering of Version 5 47
Figure 40 Right Side Orthographic of Version 5 47
Figure 41 Rendering of Version 6 48
Figure 42 Right Side Orthographic of Version 6 48
Figure 43 Rendering of Version 7 49
Figure 44 Right Side Orthographic of Version 7 49
Figure 45 Rendering of Version 8 50
ix
Figure 46 Right Side Orthographic of Version 8 50
Figure 47 Rendering of Version 9 51
Figure 48 Right Side Orthographic of Version 9 51
Figure 49 Installation of Survey Posters; Subject Taking Survey 54
Figure 50 Original Chair Perceived Beauty and Proportion 56
Figure 51 Version 1 Perceived Beauty and Proportion 57
Figure 52 Version 2 Perceived Beauty and Proportion 57
Figure 53 Version 3 Perceived Beauty and Proportion 58
Figure 54 Version 4 Perceived Beauty and Proportion 58
Figure 55 Version 5 Perceived Beauty and Proportion 59
Figure 56 Version 6 Perceived Beauty and Proportion 59
Figure 57 Version 7 Perceived Beauty and Proportion 60
Figure 58 Version 8 Perceived Beauty and Proportion 60
Figure 59 Version 9 Perceived Beauty and Proportion 61
Figure 60 Original Chair Dimension Perceived to be Most Problematic 62
Figure 61 Version 1 Dimension Perceived to be Most Problematic 63
Figure 62 Version 2 Dimension Perceived to be Most Problematic 63
Figure 63 Version 3 Dimension Perceived to be Most Problematic 64
Figure 64 Version 4 Dimension Perceived to be Most Problematic 64
Figure 65 Version 5 Dimension Perceived to be Most Problematic 65
Figure 66 Version 6 Dimension Perceived to be Most Problematic 65
Figure 67 Version 7 Dimension Perceived to be Most Problematic 66
Figure 68 Version 8 Dimension Perceived to be Most Problematic 66
x
Description:The Beauty of Fit: Proportion and Anthropometry in Chair Design A Thesis Presented to The Academic Faculty by Caroline Kelly In Partial Fulfillment
